Fleeting memories

Yesterday, felt like bringing my wallet to school so I did. At the last period (Chem), Daniel asked whether I’m going for the Hulu Langat camp, I said no and enquired further about it. This is probably the most impulsive thing I’ve ever done, but on hearing there are still places left, I whipped out the required RM70 (out of RM75) from my wallet and paid Pn Lee Chooi Ngoh, while lying that I did buy the AIA insurance this year (costs RM10). I don’t see the point paying the extra money when 1) you’re unlikely to die/injured while camping 2) it’s more of a ploy for the insurance company/teacher to get more money.

>_>

Not sure if this is a bad move, but I hope it’ll be enjoyable. I’ve never been to camps outside in my entire life and my camp last year in SCHOOL (of all places) left a bad taste in my mouth.

I woke up grudgingly today to attend a belated celebration of Teacher’s Day. It’s the worst I’ve ever attended in my five years in school although the performances were alright, with the exception of the librarians’ hideously long and dull sketch which I can barely make tail or head out of. I suspect FatV plays a large role in screwing up today’s Teacher’s Day, with too many performances (THREE solo singings?) and the usual plethora of traditional/standard SPEECHES which I cannot fathom the reason they have to do it.

The eight of us guys from both 5A and 5B (me, Andy, Wai Hong, Daniel, Teck Seng, Siew Hui, Fang Chyuan, Jun Man) sneaked out of a convenient man-made hole behind the girl’s toilet to go to Tien Tien Fatt..when there was a short break. Nothing interesting occured, except for Sasi, Nirshan and Thevadass joining us when we were almost finished with our food.

It ended with me sleeping in my class while the rest were overlooking at games played by both teachers and students which hardly interest me. Under the hot Malaysian sun.

Wai Hong and I went to our old school.. Seafield 3 next door, like we had always done for the past 4 years to visit our old teachers. As we entered, the assembly site was noticeably empty with a silver Proton Waja in its parking lot on our left. Not a soul in sight.

We climbed upstairs slowly on the narrow and steep stairs, and a flood of memories went flying around in my head. I recalled so many things, things I missed doing with my old friends who probably forgot me by now (except for a select few), the things we played around as small naive kids, the days of me and the crushes, everything looked upon as so insignificant before and they are so dearly missed.

As both of us looked at the inside of the staff room, we walked quietly till a Malay lady spotted me. I asked if Pn Ling was here. “Sudah balik.”

“Cikgu Thamayanti?”
“Ohh..dia sudah pindah..ke kampung dia di Perlis.”

I just couldn’t believe she left when last year she was still smiling, laughing and talking to me (albeit awkwardly, when you have no topics to touch on to people you have never met for months/years). She was one of the best primary school teachers I’ve ever had, to the extent that our school’s football club established STFC – Super Thamayanti Football Club XD

I was a bit of an easy target for bullying, so she was the one who stood up by me and taught me loads of things, talked to me loads of things. I miss her.

Fleeting memories. They are like a crystal ball I can stand upon but can never dwell in. And shouldn’t.

Memories are for nostalgic purposes when you’re old or all alone. Memories are to bring a smile to your face for all the good ol’ fun you had, or to make you wince at all the embarrassing things you’ve done. Memories… will disappear along with you when you die. Which is why there are things like photographs and videos – items that freeze those fleeting moments, captured, stored, frozen and embedded forever.